Dragonmail: Reilanin

[transfer_student]

Reilanin:

I think Alex is feeling terrible about the world right now. Could you try to cheer him up if you can?

Comments

[winterwhite]

He didn't seem angry... he went to take a bath...

Are you sure he was angry?

[transfer_student]

I'm sure. It mostly wasn't really at me, though. I think.

That's why I'm planning to get over it.

[winterwhite]

Mm...

How angry?

[transfer_student]

Yelling about 'not fucking caring.' That sort of thing.

[winterwhite]

I don't understand?

[transfer_student]

I'm not sure how to rate someone's level of anger out of context.

[winterwhite]

[ alex isn't usually angry around her, so she can't really say, either... does that mean, even right now, at this very moment, he's angry, and she can't tell?

but why would he hide it from her? ]

Mm, well, thank you for telling me.

Maybe you should be angry with him in fewer days.

[transfer_student]

I think I picked just the right amount of days!

[winterwhite]

How do you decide...?

[transfer_student]

[wait. how DID he decide?]

I thought about how angry I was and then I subtracted a day because he has his own problems.

[that's a lie

he made the number up because it sounded good]

[winterwhite]

... how angry would a day's worth be?

[transfer_student]

One day's worth is when it clouds your thinking, but it isn't about something that really matters, so it's sure to be gone after you've slept on it.

[suddenly an expert]

[winterwhite]

Oh...

What about... three days?

[transfer_student]

Ah...

Three days is if what was said does matter and goes on mattering after the fight, but you're going to forgive it because the friendship is important too. Four days is the same, just with a different balance of values.

Here.

[he draws her an EQUATION ABOUT FEELINGS involving values such as "mean things said" "how much they mattered" "strength of friendship" and "nights of sleep"

Nova what is this equation no one uses this you made it up on the spot

He doesn't even realize he's trolling; this all seems totally plausible while he's puzzling it out]

[winterwhite]

[ she reads it in all seriousness, though even to her it doesn't make any sense. ]

What if you forget to be angry and talk to them sooner?

[transfer_student]

If you forget to be angry, the clock still ticks down without you.

It's everyone's responsibility to keep track of their own anger.

[winterwhite]

[ oh, well, that makes sense... other people can't be responsible for your anger for you, after all ]

What if... mm, what if you don't sleep?

[transfer_student]

Well, people do most of their cooling off from anger in their sleep, so it would diminish a lot slower. Let's say a night of no sleep is worth half as much.

[winterwhite]

So I would stay angry twice as long?

[transfer_student]

Something like that! I'm not sure I've ever seen you angry though...

Not even when I was trying to get Ravindra's name and you didn't want me to

Or when I read your mail

I suppose maybe you could have been angry but not in a way that came through in your letters...

[winterwhite]

Mm. I suppose you'd have to have been there. [ she doesn't really remember being angry at nova, but she definitely remembers being angry at duncan. that was a pretty special sort of angry.

hm, no, if there even is a time she's been angry she can't think of when it was, duncan aside. ]

You really shouldn't read other peoples' mail, though.

[transfer_student]

Other people's mail just always seems to find me.

[winterwhite]

Nova.






Never open my mail again.

[transfer_student]

I only did it once!

I wasn't going to anymore!


Oh, wait, are you angry right now??

[winterwhite]

Maybe.

Let me sleep on it.